Some Things Never Change
by BroomballKraken
Summary: Five years was a long time to be apart, and Ignatz was slightly worried that everything would change between him and Raphael. Luckily for both of them, it appeared that some things would never change. Written for FE Rarepair Week Day 6, Prompt: Change


God I love these two soft boys a whole heck of a lot, that is all. Thanks for reading!

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"Hurry, Lorenz! It's getting late!"

"Patience, Ignatz, we are going as fast as we can."

Ignatz frowned as his brow furrowed, and his grip tightened around Lorenz. Lorenz's horse galloped at a thunderous pace down the road leading to Garreg Mach Monastery, where they were hoping to reunite with their classmates and professor after five long years apart. He hoped that everyone would make it, despite the war that had been ravaging Fodlan all these years, and there was one person in particular that he was worried the most about.

"Raphael…" Ignatz whispered to himself, clenching his jaw as he tried to fight off the pit of dread forming in his gut. When the war had begun five years ago, Raphael and Ignatz had to regretfully part ways, as they each had families that they needed to protect. It had been a tearful goodbye on his part, but in true Raphael fashion, he was all smiles and was confident that they would see each other again. Ignatz had not forgotten the feeling of their final kiss before they parted, but five years was a long time to be apart, and Ignatz hoped that the war had not changed Raphael too much.

"Do not fret, Ignatz." Lorenz said, glancing over his shoulder. "Raphael is a man with an abnormally high constitution. He would not let the war claim him so easily. And I feel he would not let it keep him from reuniting with you." Ignatz blinked at Lorenz, before a small smile crossed his face.

"Yeah...I know. Thanks."

"Think nothing of it." Lorenz said as he looked back to the road ahead. As they approached the village just outside of Garreg Mach, Lorenz tensed up and reached behind him, pulling out his lance and taking a battle stance.

"There seems to be a commotion going on up ahead. Prepare yourself." Lorenz said. Ignatz nodded and pulled out his bow, nocking an arrow as they galloped closer and closer to the village. Shouts and the sounds of steel hitting steel reached Ignatz's ears, and Lorenz let out a shout of his own as he thrust his lance at a charging bandit, while Ignatz fired an arrow at one who was charging at Claude's wyvern.

"Hey you two! It's about time you showed up!" Claude said, turning around and waving. Ignatz waved back, and Lorenz rolled his eyes and huffed.

"What a fine mess you have managed to get yourself into. I guess it is up to me to yet again save the day." Lorenz said, earning a chuckle from Ignatz.

"Yeah, yeah, just shut up and fight!" Claude responded as he flew off. Lorenz bid his horse to start moving again, and both he and Ignatz began dispatching as many bandits as they could. A volley of arrows hit the ground next to Lorenz's horse, startling him and causing him to rear up. Ignatz was not prepared, and he tumbled off of the horse and hit the ground hard. Lorenz's shouting grew distant as his horse took off, and Ignatz quickly jumped to his feet, discarding his bow so that he could instead pull out a sword.

Panting heavily, Ignatz barely managed to parry an axe attack aimed for his head, and he quickly delivered a jab to the man's gut, sending him crumpling to the ground. He heard a shout behind him, and he turned his head to see another charging at him, and his heart sank when he realized that he would not be able to block his attack in time.

Suddenly, the charging enemy was sideswiped by a gauntlet-laden punch, and he was sent flying to the ground in a mess of blood and shredded armor. Ignatz stood frozen, blinking a few times as he tried to process what had just happened, when a booming voice hit his ears.

"Hey, Ignatz! Long time no see!"

Ignatz's heart jumped into his throat as he looked up at Raphael's beaming face, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears. The battle seemed to be over, so Ignatz could focus on the fact that he was finally reunited with his boyfriend after five long years. He looked the same, but yet so different. He somehow looked even more muscular than he had during their school days, and his hair was longer and fluffier. It really suited him, and Ignatz thought he looked as handsome as ever.

Ignatz yelped in surprise when Raphael wrapped his large arms around him and lifted him into his arms, laughing as he spun the stunned Ignatz around in circles. Ignatz recovered from his shock and he laughed along with Raphael, the tears he had been holding back now spilling down his face.

"Hey now," Raphael said when he stopped spinning, a frown crossing his face as he cupped Ignatz's, wiping away his tears with his thumb as the rolled down his cheeks under his glasses, "Why are you crying? Aren't you happy to see me?" Ignatz smiled as he placed a hand on Raphael's shoulder, steadying himself as he removed his glasses and rubbed an arm over his eyes to clear away the rest of his tears.

"Oh yes, Raphael, I am overjoyed. These are happy tears, I assure you." Ignatz said, smiling fondly as his green eyes met Raphael's honey-colored ones. Ignatz wrapped his arms around Raphael's neck and rest his forehead against his. Raphael smiled wide and tightened his grip on Ignatz's legs.

"Well that's good! 'Cause I really, really missed you! I like what you've done with your hair!" Raphael said in that excited booming voice that Ignatz missed so much. He chuckled and ran his fingers through Raphael's hair, and he did not fail to notice the light blush that appeared on the larger man's face.

"Thanks. I like your hair as well. It reminds me of a...fluffy sheep." Ignatz said. He grinned when Raphael's face scrunched up and he averted his gaze.

"A sheep? Really? Why not a bear, or some other cool animal?"

"I think sheep are cool. And you're too sweet to be compared to a bear of all things."

"Ignatz…" Raphael whispered, looking back at him as Ignatz cupped his face. Smiling softly, he closed the distance between them and kissed him, deep and tender. He felt Raphael smile against his lips, and they took their time savoring the feeling of the one that they loved, after such a long time apart.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Raphael gently set Ignatz back on his feet, and he immediately wrapped his arms around him again, pulling him into a tight hug. Ignatz's sighed contently and rest his head upon Raphael's broad chest, relishing in the contact and just how safe he felt wrapped in his boyfriend's arms.

"Hey, Raph?" Ignatz lifted his head so that he was looking Raphael in the eye, "I was so worried about you the entire time we were apart, and not a moment went by that I did not think of you. I'm just...so relieved to see you safe. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost the person that I love the most in the world."

"No need to talk like that, Ig. All that matters now is that we're both safe and sound, and right back where we belong: wrapped up in each other's arms." Raphael said, smiling as he caressed Ignatz's cheek with the back of his hand. "I never once stopped loving you these past five years, and now that we're together again, my love has only grown. I think my heart may burst because of how much I love you!" Ignatz laughed as Raphael punched a fist in the air to drive his point home.

"Well, I'm glad that no matter how much time we spent apart, some things will never change." Ignatz said, pulling away as he took Raphael's hand and entwined their fingers together.

"Yeah, you said it!" Raphael said. Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound filled the air, and Ignatz giggled as Raphael's face flushed a bright red.

"Oops, all this excitement really made me super hungry!" he said, smacking his free hand against his stomach. "Let's go meet up with the others and get some food!"

"Yeah, let's go." Ignatz said, leaning up to place a quick kiss on Raphael's cheek before they both set off hand-in-hand to regroup with the rest of their old classmates. Indeed, it seemed that some things really would never change, and, just like Raphael's seemingly insatiable hunger, Ignatz knew that their love for each other would always be one of those things.


End file.
